Friction-grip choke control



May 8, 1923- 1,454,238

A. w. KAUFMAN FRICTION GRIP "CHOKE CONTROL Filed July 22} 1922 WW adam zzfman' ADAM W. KAUFMAN, OF .BIHLWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

FRICTION-GRIP CHOKE CONTROL.

Application filed July 22, 1922. Serial no. 576,855.

tomobile engines wherein the carburetor is provided with an air valve under manual control for efiecting a choke of the air supply to enrich the miitture in instances where the engine is initially started.

An object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical and effective means for positively holding the air valve in its adusted position.

Another object ofmy invention is to provide a yieldable jaw mechanism for the control rod of the carburetor air valve, whereby said valve is gripped and held in predetermined adjustable positions.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical and effective means for attaching a friction gripping jaw mechanism to the frame of an automobile body, whereby the rod, which is reciprocative in its movement, will slidingly engage friction plates carried by the gripping means.

A further object of my invention is to provide, as an attachment for the standard rod of a valve control choke mechanism, an anchor plate provided with a lip, a yieldable gripping plate associated therewith, and a pair of fibre friction jaws between the plates for engagement with the rod.

A still further object of my invention is to provide the fibre friction jaws and plates with means for spring tensioning the bite of the jaws and for adjusting said spring ten- SlOIl.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain peculiarities in construction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter set forth with reference to the accompanying illustrations and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a standard air valve actuating rod for control ling or choking the air entering a carburetor, the rod being provided with an attachment embodying a gripping means exemplifying my invention, the said gripping means being in section to more clearly illustrate the structural features.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the same,xand

Figure 3 is a face view of the gripping means, the same being partially in section, as indicated by line 33 of F igure'l.

Referring by characters to the drawings, A represents a link, the lower end of which is attached to an air intake valve for a carburetor, (not shown), B, a bell crank affixed; to the dashboard of an automobile frame or body, and C, a reciprocative controlling rod for the air valve, the same being extended through the instrument board D of the vehicle, at which point the controlling rod is terminated with a button for manual manipulation. All of these parts are of standard construction and form no part of my invention.

Under ordinary conditions, the air valve actuating mechanism is held in its normal position by a spring, (not shown), which spring maintains the valve in an open position whereby the proper amount of air is admitted to the fuel supply. In actuating this standard structure, when it is desired to start the engine, the operator pulls the choke rod C forwardly in the direction, indicated by the arrow, in opposition to its spring control, whereby the air valve is closed, or partially closed, to enrich the mixture.

Hence, as soon as the operator releases the choke rod, the spring will automatically open the air valve and this necessitates continual manipulation of the rod back and forth until the engine is started.

In order" to overcome the objectionable feature of holding the rod when manipulating the choke, I provide a friction grip mechanism, which can be readily attached to the standard equipment, just mentioned,

"and which friction mechanism or jaw will bite or hold the rod in any predetermined,

adjusted position. Hence, it is only necessary for the operator to move the rod back or forth and the friction gripping jaws will lock it in its adjusted position. The gripping jaws will not only hold the rod in its predetermined adjusted position, but it will also prevent vibration of the parts when the vehicle is traveling, which is detrimental to proper functioning of the carburetor, as such vibration will tend to vary the air supply to the fuel.

lln solving the problem, as described above, it provide an angle iron bracket 1, the base flange of which is secured by screws or otherwise, to the under side face of the instrument board, the companion flange 2 of said bracket forming a reinforcin plate, which is apertured at its ends. T e reinforcing plate has fitted thereto a pair of fibre friction strips 3-4:, respectively. These friction strips are also apertured to coincide with the apertures of the reinforcing plate 2, and a second yieldable metallic plate 5 is abutted against the pair of strips for supporting and confining the same. The yieldable plate 5 is also apertured and the entire series of friction gripping elements or jaws are held together by bolts 6, which extend through the alined apertures of these parts, the bolts being in threaded union with the reinforcing plate 2, and are also locked by nuts 6'.

The headed ends of the bolts project beyond the yieldable plate 5 a predetermined distance, about which are fitted spring sections7, which serve to tension the yielda-ble friction strips or jaws lt will be understood that the bolts can be adjusted with relation to their anchor plate 2, whereby the tension of the springs can be varied to control the biting strain of the jaws or strips 3-4, it being-understood that the choke rod 0 passes between the strips 3-4:, as best shown in Figures 1 and 3.

From the foregoing description, it is obvious that when the 'choke rod is restricted to either a functioning position or to a normal open position, it is primarily held by the gripping attachment shown and described. ltllence, the inconvenience of holding the choke rod in any position is overcome, and furthermore, the spring, which will normally return the rod to its normal position, is dispensed with. The operator simply has to push the rod back or forth and it'will be held in such position until it is desired to again change the position of the air neaaaas valve. This attachment can be readily associated with the standard choke rod without dismantling the parts, and due to its cheapness in construction, it canbe manufactured at a minimum cost, and owing to its flexibility, the life of the attachment will be indefinite.

lmiile l have shown and described one simple exemplification of my invention minutely as to its details of construction, it is understood that it may vary the structural details within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. In an automobile engine provided with a carburetor having an air valve and a manually controlled reciprocatively actuated rod connected thereto; the combination of an anchor plate secured to the tired part of an a tomobile and transversely of the rod, and a yieldable aw associated with the anchor plate for rictionally gripping the rod.

.2. ln-an automoblle provided with an strument board and an engine with a carbw retor having an air valve; the combination of a reciprocative rod connected to the air valve and passing through the instrument board, an angle iron plate secured to the instrument board transversely of the rod, friction strips carried by the angle iron plate between which the rod passes, and a spring controlled plate for preming the friction strips together.

3. Tu an automobile engine provided with acarburetor having an air valve and a man ually controlled reciprocatively actuated rod connected thereto; the combination of a pair of spring controlled j'aws between which the actuating rod extends, whereby said rod is gripped. in predetermined adjusted posi tions.

In testimony that it claim the foregoing l have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Vile consin.

ADAM W. KAUF 

